boardmaster: (Default)
BOARDMASTER ([personal profile] boardmaster) wrote in [community profile] pawnstorm2016-04-09 04:30 am

intro ♚ april

WELCOME TO GRAUPERA



We’ve all had those dreams: you wake up on a table, to blurry, ominous images and the certainty that you are absolutely buck-naked in a room full of strangers. This is not quite it.

Instead, you come awake to the sun on your face. The soft burble of water nearby. The hustle and bustle of a busy street and the faint, fortifying smell of bread. You open your eyes and there’s no one there at your bedside, but there is what appears to be the end of the world happening just beyond your window.

There’s a crack in the world across the sky, the “sun” is the totally unnatural light spilling from that crack straight into your eyes, and someone’s left a neatly pressed and folded uniform at the foot of the bed that isn’t yours. Somewhere in the room, there’s a strange clatter like beads, the click of claws on the floor.

Something’s in here with you.

Also, you are naked.

ONE CAPABLANCA & AIRY
As much as Blanc’s capital welcomes its Heroes, new arrivals such as yourself won’t have much time to settle. Get dressed and pick up your weapon and Carrier, because sometime in the afternoon, all floor nannies and Carriers will broadcast an announcement by Commander Lisbrand. She delivers a brief greeting to their new members, but gets straight to the point: they will be headed for Capablanca and the open sea beyond, in order to restore the fortress of Graupera for battle with Noir looming on the horizon. All new Heroes are expected to report to the Airy at the Caissa aeroport on the 8th along with their seniors.

On the morning of the 11th, Airy alights on Graupera, an island about two hours away from Capablanca by ferry. From here, you can either help the navy with Graupera repairs or assist in Verdoni’s investigations and head for Capablanca proper. Heroes will be staying in the (in)famous Hotel Caruana: they say you can check in anytime you like, but you can never truly leave. Nobody will quite meet your eyes or tell you what it means.

Wherever you are, the Airy will remain parked at Graupera.

TWO GRAUPERA, CAPABLANCA SEA FORT
What was once a heavily fortified island rests a ways off the coast of Capablanca; it looks a little too much like one of the thunderclouds slowly swarming on the horizon. Graupera has seen many battles and withstood the ebb and flow of wars. Formerly the city’s first line of defense until it was abandoned after the Reclamation, its dilapidated condition is the current bane of the Blanc navy. Blanc needs to bring it back to its former glory before it can face a single warship, much less Noir’s fleet of magical cannons. Blanc’s government has no doubt Heroes will do a fine job at returning the fortress to its former glory!

A ♙ The great stone and iron wall facing the wide open ocean has seen better days and is full of holes overgrown with stubborn clinging vines; cannonballs used a lifetime ago litter the grounds. The vines are extremely thick and may tangle the careless beyond hope of escape, not to mention filled with a pungent sap that will seep into your clothes and hair for days. It makes a great adhesive, though? Conveniently, parts of the wall are strewn across the floor, so at least some of the cannon holes can be repaired with enough improvisation, desperation and a bit of spit. The rest need new material provided by our helpful Heroes in Option C. Furthermore, the lingering damage from a previous attack and old age have turned the floorboards weak and unstable. The wood creaks ominously beneath the mass of even a single average-sized person, so watch your step.

B ♟ You might want to get your weapon before you descend into the dank depths beneath the castle. Once you make it down the steep, slippery stairs, you’ll be meeting the gigantic, hostile rats that infest the castle cellar from top to bottom. It looks like magical residue from long-ago battles has seeped into both the foundation and its inhabitants. The cellars have become a huge warren filled with strange mana currents, and sometimes flooded with water. If you're going to start an extermination campaign, you may want to recall the magical residue: chopping off a rat’s head and limbs will barely slow it down. It will keep going for hours unless you either lop off all its limbs or pierce its heart.

If you manage to make it all the way up into the castle’s two intact towers (the other two are half-collapsed), the uppermost levels are utterly covered in bird crap. You’ll be encountering the kings of this castle: the unusually large, grey-feathered sea birds that have taken up residence here. Albatrosses, gulls, pelicans, even sand pipers: they all share nesting and pooping space here. The feathers of each bird seem to have taken on stone-like properties not unlike the castle’s walls. They’re extremely ferocious and protective of their nests, which are filled with all kinds of things: twigs, shiny things, coin money, Option C’s supplies, feathers of all kinds, and some completely ordinary tools that seem too small for human hands, and much older than anything else in the place save for the walls. If you look closely, you might be able to see a few baby rats scattered in amongst the eggs and the peeping chicks. They’re being fed, too.

You’re meant to be moving the birds out of the place, but you might have enough trouble just moving their offal.

C ♙ Don’t feel like dealing with pest control? No problem! Blanc will need materials for rebuilding and other supplies for the coming battle! Everyone knows how important it is for the fortress to remain standing, so Heroes will be provided with gadgets and weaponry that should make it difficult for enemies to penetrate the walls yet again. Word has spread that the Heroes are transporting valuable goods, though, so you might have to fend off the occasional hopeful man or annoying mouse (rat) who wishes to borrow much-needed material.

Of course, all this rebuilding will be for naught if you are not prepared to defend the stronghold! Ammunition such as cannonballs, bullets and arrows needs to be transported to Graupera en masse, pronto. Equally important essentials include first aid supplies and enough non-perishable food and water to last a small army (you) a month or two. You wouldn’t want to have to scavenge for rat meat.

No one knows just how long this battle is going to last.

THREE Training
It’s time for you landlubbers to learn how to swim! Commander Lisbrand won’t be tolerating any sinking stones on her task force. The upcoming battle will be fought on the sea so your instructor, one of Blanc’s many fine captains (when she isn’t intoxicated), will make every single individual who hesitates at the sight of the open ocean walk the plank. She’ll even give you a helpful kick if necessary! Once that’s over, she will show you how to steer a ship. However, wandering eyes that land anywhere on the inebriated captain’s assets will be swiftly and spectacularly dealt a large bottle of the harbor’s best swill right where it hurts.

Blanc has also provided training dummies dressed suspiciously like prominent figures of the Othellian underworld. Now might be a good time to branch out and learn about your affinities. Heroes who have recently been promoted in Rank might want to set some time aside for getting used to their new abilities, too. Power and responsibility come hand in hand, after all!

INFO Welcome!
Welcome to Crosscheck's April intro log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!
showsnopiety: (he did this)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-24 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
If I couldn't wrap my legs around you, I would use my arms. And if not that, I would use my weapon and wrap it around your person.

[She's telling him calmly, matter of fact, as if she's done it a thousand times before. Maybe she has, maybe she hasn't, and while she does have one bum leg, that doesn't change one thing.

She'd happily make him suffer with her, if they didn't die outright.]


Your neck would do. And perhaps your corpse would suffice as an anchor if it didn't fall through.
convictionary: (You're such a sweet young thing)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-04-24 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ . . . That sounded incredibly sincere.]

What did you say your name was, again?
showsnopiety: (a hateful spear)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-24 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[Congrats Gaius you found a dragon.]

Caren. Yours? I think I missed it.
convictionary: (I saw a pretty little thing approachin')

1/2

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-04-24 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[Why yes, yes he did. Caren hath earned her place in his nicknames. Now, that question gets a stare. Not at her. Just off into the bleakness. It's a flat, wary stare as he considers the merits of lying and saying that his name is Alfredo or something like that.

But no.

There's no way he'd be able to pull that off longterm. The space is too enclosed and too many people know his name.]


Gaius.
convictionary: ([insert chorus here])

2/2

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-04-24 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[Then his foot viciously plunged through the floorboards! The rest of him didn't follow.

It should be noted that he doesn't immediately drop her, remembering the warning he had previously and having already decided that having to choose between a two floor drop and dropping her he'd take his chances with the former - he's much more likely to survive. He tugs his foot. It holds.]


Hold on.

[And carefully, carefully, he reaches over to place her on the ground and...drops her an inch above the ground anyway because he is a bit of a shit like that, but now he's gotta work his foot out.]
showsnopiety: (pray to your)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-25 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
[What's the no pile???

It was a smart choice on his part; this way, at least, she won't prank him for lying to her later. Instead, she'll just treat him as normally as she does with other people.

Which does not mean it'll be good treatment, but. Still.

She's jarred and makes a sound when he pushes his foot through the floor board and....she grabs him when he drops her. Just on his front, but anyway. Still a grab. What a nice person she is.

At least she bends down-still holding his free leg for support-and tries to help him get his foot out. Though if it's stuck...

there may have to be a whackin.]
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-04-29 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[He wiggles his foot. It seems to be stuck.

...then, after a pause, he gestures to her and the wiggling process begins anew. This time, though, it's his leg out of the boot that he was wearing. That seems to work. His leg comes out and oh fuck him where did his boot drop into.]


...

[...]

Think I can get 'em to give me a new one? [Unsure if he cares.]
Edited (Knock knock.) 2016-04-29 01:47 (UTC)
showsnopiety: (Christ to your)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-29 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
...I'm sure you will find yourself shod, one way or the other.

[Just. Wow. Good job Gaius. Way to worm your way out of a sticky situation. She's kneeling on the floor still, and...she can't see where his boot dropped to. Maybe on a boss. Who the heck knew.

But hey. His feet were free.]


Help me up?

[Since, well, her ankle still is being rude.]
convictionary: (He made it clear)

1/2

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-01 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
[He takes a moment to glance at that hole and just think about it...but no, he's feeling lazy. Deep sigh.]
fairytality: <user name="oldrod" site="livejournal"> (Be proud of who you are)

[personal profile] fairytality 2016-05-01 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
[Meanwhile a floor below... Someone is acquiring a sudden boot to the head. L-literally.]

Ah-! ...Wait, this is... [Excuse Ryouko while she chucks it out a window.] Damn litterers!
convictionary: (And then he swept up from behind)

2/2

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-01 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
[So hngh, fuck it, he's giving her a hand up and is going to be the human godsdamned crutch.]

War's not always like this. Sometimes they have us fighting. Other times? More like herding monkeys. Be glad you missed that part.
showsnopiety: (call my name)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-05-01 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh good, she can lean on him and not have her ass simply hang in the air then. That's good that's good.]

Is this the part where you tell me about the good old days and how I have it so much easier then you?

[Gaius you old man you. Also she's holding onto his shirt so he won't drop her.]
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-01 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
Nope. This is the part where I tell you that if we're stuck doing something like that again there's a couple of guys you can pawn off most of the heavy lifting on for ten colle and the promise of doing a good deed- I'll point 'em out if we see 'em on the way out. [The victims.] You really gotta hang on like that?
showsnopiety: (out of)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-05-01 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
Only a couple?

[Her brows lift. She's pretty sure she could get more than a couple of victims.]

I'll take you up on that. That'll be useful.

[She glances over at him, and at his hands. And hers.]

I thought about the belt. Would you rather carry me like a sack of potatoes?
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-03 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
Pass. [Immediate, quick, and respectful except not really.] Who knows what you'd do to it.
showsnopiety: (call my name)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-05-03 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Eh, she won't kill him for it.] Nothing. Yet.